WFP Halts Food Aid in Houthi-Controlled Yemen Amid Funding Shortage
The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) announced Tuesday a temporary suspension of its food aid program in northern Yemen’s Houthi-controlled areas, citing funding shortages and stalled negotiations. The WFP’s effort to scale back aid from 9.5 million to 6.5 million people hit a deadlock after nearly a year of discussions with the Houthi group. The organization reported dwindling food reserves in these regions and noted that resuming aid could take up to four months due to supply chain disruptions.
Despite the suspension, the WFP plans to continue supporting resilience, livelihoods, nutrition, and school meal programs to lessen the impact. While aid is halted in Houthi areas, distribution will persist in government-controlled territories, targeting the most vulnerable families.
Aid agencies have expressed concern that this cessation could have devastating effects on civilians already suffering from protracted conflict and economic decline. The suspension could worsen the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, where over 13 million people rely on WFP aid.
The ongoing civil war in Yemen, which began in 2014, has seen the Houthi movement clashing with the internationally backed Yemeni government, further complicated by the Saudi Arabia-led coalition’s intervention in 2015.
